Tangled in His Obsession



"Darleen was divorced and her daughter carried her surname, but what about her ex-husband?" Seraphina couldn't help but be curious.

Patrick shook his head, "As for him, I haven't really kept up."

Seraphina smiled slightly, "That makes sense. After all, we all have only so much energy to go around. But you've given me a lot of info today, which is a big help."

Patrick gave her a sideways glance, "Now, can you tell me what you need all this information for?"

Seraphina pursed her lips, meeting his gaze, "What if I don't want to tell you?"

"Well, I can't force you to do anything," Patrick said with a raised eyebrow, "but next time you come looking for info, I can't promise I'll be as open."

His words sounded harsh, but his tone was gentle, and Seraphina knew he was joking. She laughed, "Let's just say I want to know everything about the Martin family."

"Is that because..." Patrick paused, "you're Simon's daughter?"

Seraphina turned swiftly to him, a smile playing on her lips, "Word travels fast, huh? All the way to Moonhaven?"

Indeed, since the Martin family dinner, rumors about Seraphina's connection to the Martins had spread like wildfire. With many in the know, it didn't take long for the gossip to reach every nook and cranny, including the far-off Starhaven where Patrick kept a keen eye on the Martin family's dealings. After a moment, Seraphina added, "So, did you find out just recently, or did you already know when you gave me that painting of the jasmine flowers?"

The painting of jasmine flowers, a lost piece by Carney meant for Adelina, had been delivered to Seraphina by Patrick. It was that painting that had led her to question her own origins and investigate further, unraveling the series of events that followed.

"I'm not as omniscient as you think," Patrick admitted, "The jasmine painting was just a coincidence."

Seraphina shrugged, "It would have been easier if you'd done it on purpose."

"Why's that?"

"Then I could blame you for dragging my peaceful life into a whirlwind. But since it wasn't intentional, what can I say? It's probably all just fate." Patrick fell silent for a moment before asking, "So, are you planning to go back to the Martin family?"

"If I do, wouldn't that make us enemies?" Seraphina responded with a playful smile.

Patrick gave her a long look, "The Martin family is large; not everyone is my enemy."

With a slight tilt of her head, Seraphina smiled, "Then I trust there are still friends of yours within the Martin family."

Being the rival of the Martin family, Patrick was incredibly well-informed about their affairs, which suggested he had insiders helping him. Whether through money or loyalty, there were people within the Martin family working for him.

"And you?" Patrick asked, "If you return to the Martin family, can we still be friends?"

Seraphina laughed softly, "Unless you choose to stand against me, friends are for a lifetime."

"But I'm not sure which side you're on, Sera," Patrick said.

"You'll find out," she replied with a smile.

Once she bid Patrick farewell, Seraphina headed home to attend to documentation for an imminent art exhibition. In a spontaneous decision, she found herself delving into the background of Renee's biological father.

She had assumed that since Lionel had adopted Renee, her biological father must be deceased.

But to her surprise, Renee's father was very much alive and living in Sunburst City.

Named Chuck, the 40-year-old was working at an upscale private club called Hot Summer as a Customer Service Manager. His age and position in such a venue were somewhat unusual, as such roles were typically filled by men in their twenties.

Digging a little deeper, Seraphina found that Hot Summer was owned by Lionel himself. After Renee's mother had passed, Lionel had not only adopted Renee but also offered her father a job at his club.

Or perhaps, this was the reason he was able to adopt Renee in the first place?

The next day, Seraphina arranged to meet a gallery client for lunch at Hot Summer.

As one of Sunburst City's premier clubs, on par with the Enchanted Petals Club and with connections to the Mart Group, the clientele was a who's who of society. Seraphina, no stranger to the social scene, was recognized by many on her way in.

Seraphina had been on the social news a couple times, and the sharp-eyed staff knew her well. Despite this being her first visit, she was received like an old friend and treated with exceptional hospitality.

The meal went well, and the conversation with her client was enjoyable, making the visit a satisfying one indeed.

By the time Seraphina was signing the credit card slip, she casually, almost inadvertently, asked the young customer service manager who had been assisting her, "Is Chuck not on shift today?"

"Huh?" The young man was clearly taken aback by the sudden inquiry about Chuck, pausing for a beat before responding, "Oh, Chuck... he took the day off, isn't in today. Do you know him, Mrs. Reynolds?"

"Met him a couple of times," Seraphina replied with a nonchalant shrug. "Just wondering."

The young manager's eyes twinkledText property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

with a mischievous glint as he paused, then smiled and said, "Well, Chuck's an old hand here, knows a lot of people. He's got so many to greet, he's hardly ever in the clubhouse."

Catching the suggestive look in his eyes, Seraphina chuckled and said, "He has a lot of female patrons to attend to, I assume?"

Realizing that Seraphina had quickly picked up on his insinuation, the manager hesitated to divulge more, simply stating, "I wouldn't know about that.”

"And he spends half his time away from the clubhouse? How does the boss let that slide?" Seraphina prodded. "Doesn't he get the sack?"

The manager shrugged, "Hey, who knows? Maybe he's tight with the boss, and the boss cuts him some slack!"

Seraphina nodded with a knowing smile, letting the conversation drop there.

It was getting late by the time she left the clubhouse. After seeing her client off, Seraphina finally got into her car.

The drive from the main building to

the gate was a serene stretch of private road. Her driver was cruising smoothly when suddenly the bright headlights caught a figure darting across the path. The driver, startled, slammed on the brakes!

The figure in front of the vehicle staggered, then crumpled to the ground.

"Did we hit someone?" Seraphina asked sharply.

"No, ma'am," the driver assured her quickly. "I'm certain I didn't hit him!"

"Don't worry, ma'am, I'll send someone to check," Abbot reassured her.

Seraphina nodded, her eyes fixed on the scene unfolding ahead.

A hand suddenly reached up from the hood of the car! Before her bodyguards could approach, the figure on the ground staggered to his feet.

The driver gasped. The man was covered in blood!

Seraphina peered closer and noticed that it wasn't just his face - his entire body was smeared with crimson.

Meanwhile, her security detail had surrounded the injured man, suggesting they take him to the hospital.

After a brief struggle with one of the guards, the man collapsed again.

“Ma'am, we should leave this to them and leave," Abbot suggested to Seraphina.

Her gaze remained fixed in front of her for a moment longer before she finally said calmly, "No, have them bring him to the car. We'll see to his wounds."